The Peak School philosophy believes whole-heartedly in student-centered learning and a progressive form of assessment known in the education world as 'standards-based grading,' which encourages 'mastery-based learning.' Though veterans of the standards-based system, Peak is now joined by a slew of school across the nation, who are adopting similar forms of learning and assessing. In August 2017, the New York Times' Kyle Spencer dug into what exactly mastery-based learning means for students and teachers in a myriad of schools across New York City.